Cinema of Sri Lanka: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 19:20, 17 March 2008

Sri Lankan cinema in recent years has featured films that tackle gritty subjects, including family relationships, abortion and the years of conflict between the military and Tamil Tiger rebels in the north.

File:KadawunuPoronduwa'1947.jpg

Kadawunu Poronduwa 1947

Many films are based on Sinhalese literature. Its style is similar to neighbouring South Indian cinema, and often features the beautiful scenery of Sri Lanka. The first film to be produced and shown in Sri Lanka was Kadawunu Poronduwa (The Broken Promise) which was released in 1947. The first colour film of Sri Lanka was Ran Muthu Doova. Hundreds of movies were made in Sri Lanka afterwards. However the most influential filmmaker in the history of Sri Lankan cinema is Lester James Peiris who has directed many movies of prodigious quality which led to global acclaim. His latest film, 'Wekanda Walawwa' (Mansion by the Lake) became the first movie to be submitted from Sri Lanka for the Best Foreign Language film award at the Academy Awards. 'Nidhanaya' directed by Lester James Peiris is however considered as the best movie ever made in Sri Lanka.

In 2005 Director Vimukthi Jayasundara became the first Sri Lankan to ever win the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for Best First Film at the world renowned Cannes Film Festival for his Sinhalese language film Sulanga Enu Pinisa (The Forsaken Land). Manay Sri Lankan film makers have won prestigous awards.the highest Documentary film award being the Golden Mercury at Venice in 1952 and again in 1972 by Pragnasoma Hettiarcahi.(this information only come from Dr.D.B Nihalsinge's Book "Public Enterprise in Film Development success and failure In Sri Lanka"no Local or International record about this award,Best film award in Venice film festival is Golden Lion)

Controversial filmmaker Asoka Handagama's films Considered by many prestigious names in the Sri Lankan film world to be the best films of honest response to the ethnic conflict currently raging in the Country.

Prasanna Vithanage is one of Sri Lanka's most notable filmmakers.His films have won many awards, both local and international. His last two films, 'Death on a Full Moon' and 'August Sun' have been critically acclaimed. While both films deal with the ethnic conflict, Death on a Full Moon can be regarded as one of the best films made to date by a Sri Lankan filmmaker.

Recent releases like 'Sooriya Arana', 'Samanala thatu', 'Hiripoda wessa' have attracted Sri Lankans to cinemas.'Sooriya Arana' was the highest grossing film in Sri Lankan cinema history, generating Rs.121 million at the box office

Sri Lankan films are usually of Sinhalese language. Tamil language movies are also filmed in Sri Lanka but they are not part of Kollywood which is Indian Tamil cinema. However some Kollywood films are based in Sri Lanka as well.

History

Rukmani Devi in a scene of Kadawunu Poronduwa

Beginnings (1901-1947)

1901 marked the introduction of film to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) when a film was shown for the first time in the country at a private screening for the British governor West Ridgeway and prisoners of the Second Boer War. It was a short film that documented the British victory in the Boer War, the burial of Queen Victoria and the coronation of Edward VII. More English screenings followed and attracted British settlers and Anglicized Sinhalese.

Cinema in Sri Lanka became a public affair due to the efforts of Warwick Major, a Englishman who developed "bioscope" showings. These were films screened out in open areas and makeshift tents. The first permanent theaters were built by Madan Theaters in 1903. The company showed Indian films and achieved success, prompting the development of theaters by the rival Olympia.

In 1925 Rajakeeya Wickremaya (English:Royal Adventure) became the first film to be made in Sri Lanka. Dr. N.M. Perera played the lead in the film which was shown in India and Singapore. In 1933 the film Paliganeema was screened in Colombo.

During the 1920s and 1930s films with American stars like Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Rudolph Valentino, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. were popular in Sri Lanka. The Shiek and The Thief of Bagdad were especially popular. By the 1930s Indian films started to surpass English films in popularity. Bilwa Mangal set an early record for Sri Lankan box office earnings.

Fifty years of cinema

Gamini and Malini in Nidhanaya which comes to the 1st place in 50 years of cinema.

The Sri Lankan cinema history from January 1947 to January 1997 completed fifty years and also the committee appointed by the cinema authorities to rank the top 10 movies during this period.

Nidhanaya (English: The Treasure) 1972 Sri Lankan film directed by Lester James Peries, starring Gamini Fonseka and Malini Fonseka and based on a story murdering of his wife for the purpose of gaining the treasure. The film won the Silver Lion of St Mark award at the Venice International Film Festival 1972 and also selected one of the outstanding films of the year, receiving a Diploma, at the London Film Festival. This film also selected as the best film of the first 50 years of Sri Lankan cinema.

Rank	Film title	Director	Year released
1	Nidhanaya	Lester James Peiris	1972
2	Gamperaliya	Lester James Peiris
3	Viragaya	Tissa Abeysekere
4	Bambaru Evith	Dharmasena Pathiraja
5	Sath Samudura	Siri Gunasinghe	1966
6	Thun Mang Handiya
7	Palangettiyo	Wasantha Obesekere
8	Dadayama	Wasantha Obesekere
9	Rekava	Lester James Peiris	1956
10	Parasathumal	Gamini Fonseka
10	Welikathara	D.B.Nihalsinghe

International award winning films

Wekande Walauwa

Ravindra, Malini, Paboda and Vasanthi in a scene

Wekande Walauwa (Mansion by the Lake) is a 2002 award winning Sinhalese language film directed by Lester James Peries that follows the lives of wealthy people in Sri Lanka. As per the film director the story is inspired by Anton Chekov's play The Cherry Orchard adapted to a Sri Lankan family context.

Sulang Kirilli

Sulang Kirilli (The Wind Bird) directed by Inoka Sathyangani, which deals with the theme of abortion. The film bagged the highest number of awards won by a single film in the history of Sri Lanka's film industry.

Student Short Film Culture

Malaka Dewapriya, a student studied at the University of Colombo which his film ‘Life Circle’ has been selected for screening in the competitive section of the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, in June 2004. This is the first time a Sri Lankan student film participating in a recognized Film Festival internationally. It is the one which first step make Student Short Film Culture in Sri lanka [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Award winning actors

References

External links

Revision as of 19:19, 17 March 2008 edit Malakadewapriya (talk \| contribs) 31 edits No edit summary ← Previous edit		Revision as of 19:20, 17 March 2008 edit undo Malakadewapriya (talk \| contribs) 31 edits No edit summary Next edit →
Line 105:		Line 105:


	===Student Short Film ~~culture~~===		===Student Short Film Culture===

	Malaka Dewapriya, a student studied at the [[University of Colombo]] which his film ‘Life Circle’ has been selected for screening in the competitive section of the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, in June 2004. This is the first time a Sri Lankan student film participating in a recognized Film Festival internationally. It is the one which first step make Student Short Film Culture in Sri lanka		Malaka Dewapriya, a student studied at the [[University of Colombo]] which his film ‘Life Circle’ has been selected for screening in the competitive section of the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, in June 2004. This is the first time a Sri Lankan student film participating in a recognized Film Festival internationally. It is the one which first step make Student Short Film Culture in Sri lanka